Telecommunications panels are used to provide electrical connections in a wide variety of telecommunication applications. The panels are often housed within and mounted to racks and cabinets, for example. Many racks and cabinets include frames having defined positions at which panels may be mounted.
Panels are often used for the termination of cables. Termination connectors are provided on the panels for cable terminations. Often the connectors are located in a termination area at the rear of the panel.
Terminating a cable to a panel is typically done in one of two ways. In one method, a sliding mechanism is used to access the termination area at the rear of the panel. The sliding mechanism permits the panel to slide out from the frame, similar to a drawer, and can be designed to drop or angle the panel down to aid in cable termination. In another method, an outrigger is used. As will be described in greater detail, the outrigger is a tool or fixture that is affixed to the frame when performing panel terminations.
One problem that arises with the use of conventional sliding mechanisms relates to the panels located below the panel being terminated. The panel located below (the lower panel) can be an active panel. An active panel is a panel having working patching cables connected to ports located on the front face of the panel. In this situation, when the sliding mechanism is used, the upper panel (the panel being terminated) drops down against the patching cables of the lower panel, which can cause damage to the lower panel patching cable. Contacting the patching cable of the lower active panel also obstructs and reduces the tilt angle of the upper panel, and therefore diminishes the benefit of the sliding mechanism.
In the alternative, the lower panel can be a jumper bar panel. A jumper bar panel is a panel having support rings built onto the panel to support patch cables of adjacent panels. Similar to the previous situation, when the sliding mechanism is used, the upper panel drops down against the patching cables of the lower panel, which can cause damage to the patching cables. Contacting the patching cable of the lower jumper bar panel also obstructs and reduces the tilt angle of the upper panel, and again diminishes the benefit of the sliding mechanism.
The outrigger method of accessing the rear termination areas of panels has disadvantages also. While the outrigger negates the need for a sliding mechanism, the outrigger introduces an additional tool that requires attachment to the frame when performing panel terminations. The tool is a stand or support frame that is affixed to the frame at or below the panel. Once the outrigger is in place, the panel is then pulled out from the frame, and placed upon the outrigger. When the panel rests upon the outrigger, the panel is positioned ideally to aid in cable termination. That is, the outrigger is designed to span over the lower panel, hence allowing the upper panel to tilt to an un-obstructed and more ideal angle for termination purposes. Attaching the additional outrigger tool to the frame each time cable termination is to be performed, however, is time consuming.
In general, improvement has been sought with respect to such devices and methods.